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Cahaba River at Centreville water level

River gauge, Cahaba River, Alabama, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

0.56ft Down 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours

Flow
242 cfs
0 13 25 38 Highest onrecord 36.70 ft Minor floodstage 23.00 ft

History

-024ftOct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22-024ftOct 12Oct 17Oct 22
-0246ftSep 19Sep 27Oct 5Oct 13Oct 22-0246ftSep 19Oct 5Oct 22
-01020ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage-01020ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
-010ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026-010ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 0.00 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 07:00 AM. Issued Saturday, October 17 at 09:04 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Cahaba River at Centreville is running below normal at 0.56 ft.

That puts it 1.23 ft below the median of 1.80 ft for mid-October, based on 54 years of readings. It is 22.44 ft below the flood stage of 23.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 0.19 ft (+0.37 ft).

It has dropped 0.12 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 0.00 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 07:00 AM. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 0.06 ft and 5.58 ft.

Compared with 54 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
1.80 ft1.23 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
0.40 ft – 3.36 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (54 years of records)
Same day last year
0.19 ft+0.37 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
0.06 ft – 5.58 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
0.06 ft – 13.99 ft
Highest on record
36.70 ftMarch 28, 1902
Forecast peak
0.50 ftSunday, October 18 at 01:00 AM

Floating and fishing near Cahaba River at Centreville

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Flood stage here is 23.00 ft, 22.44 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

36.00 ft
Flood waters will reach the Bibb County High School buildings on the east side of campus next to the river. Homes on the east side of the river and across from the high school will be in danger of flooding.
35.00 ft
Parking lot on the north side of Bibb County High School campus will begin to flood.
33.50 ft
Chamber of Commerce parking lot in Centreville will flood and Commerce building will begin to flood as water rises. High School football field will begin to flood as water overflows the Commerce parking lot.
31.00 ft
Access road next to the east of the high school will flood.
30.00 ft
Considerable flooding of farm and pasture lands in the area occurs...and cattle may need to be moved to higher ground.
23.00 ft
Pasture lands begin to flood in the Centreville area. The river walk next to the Commerce building and school is nearly completely flooded by this stage.
0.56 ft
Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: 6 %.

RankLevelDate
136.70 ftMarch 28, 1902
236.63 ftApril 8, 1938
336.20 ftJuly 8, 1916
435.50 ftMarch 19, 1906
535.35 ftFebruary 23, 1961
635.03 ftApril 13, 1979
734.80 ftMarch 29, 1951
834.38 ftDecember 28, 1942
933.88 ftFebruary 16, 1990
1033.00 ftOctober 30, 1918

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 72° 46° – Wind 12 mph
19 Mon 73° 44° – Wind 9 mph
20 Tue 77° 49° – Wind 6 mph
21 Wed 79° 53° – Wind 5 mph
22 Thu 79° 53° – Wind 6 mph
23 Fri 79° 52° – Wind 5 mph
24 Sat 76° 52° – Wind 9 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 06:56 AM Sunset 06:13 PM Daylight 11 hr, 18 min First quarter 47%

Map

Other gauges on the Cahaba River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Cahaba River near TrussvilleRiver gauge, Cahaba River 0.49 ft No reference yet −0.02 ft 59 mi
Cahaba River at TrussvilleRiver gauge, Cahaba River 0.0 cfs Low ±0 56 mi
Cahaba River near Whites ChapelRiver gauge, Cahaba River 1.16 ft Low −0.02 ft 57 mi
Cahaba River near Mountain BrookRiver gauge, Cahaba River 0.60 ft Normal −0.03 ft 45 mi
Cahaba River near Cahaba HeightsRiver gauge, Cahaba River 1.40 ft Normal +0.01 ft 40 mi
Cahaba River near HooverRiver gauge, Cahaba River 2.59 ft Low −0.10 ft 36 mi
Cahaba River near ActonRiver gauge, Cahaba River 1.77 ft Very low −0.11 ft 35 mi
Cahaba River near HelenaRiver gauge, Cahaba River 1.44 ft Normal −0.02 ft 28 mi
Cahaba River near West BloctonRiver gauge, Cahaba River 2.10 ft Below flood stage −0.04 ft 12 mi
Cahaba River near SuttleRiver gauge, Cahaba River 3.33 ft Low −0.19 ft 29 mi
Cahaba River near Marion JunctionRiver gauge, Cahaba River 2.16 ft Normal −0.19 ft 35 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Little Cahaba River near BrierfieldRiver gauge, Little Cahaba River 52.9 cfs Normal −8.3 cfs 13 mi
Black Warrior River at Holt L&d near HoltRiver gauge, Black Warrior River 186.32 ft Very low −0.14 ft 28 mi
Black Warrior River below Holt L&d near HoltRiver gauge, Black Warrior River 123.46 ft Normal +0.03 ft 28 mi
Elliotts Creek at MoundvilleRiver gauge, Elliotts Creek 1.67 ft Very low ±0 28 mi
Shades Creek near GreenwoodRiver gauge, Shades Creek 1.88 ft Normal −0.02 ft 29 mi
Mulberry Creek at JonesRiver gauge, Mulberry Creek 0.22 ft Very low −0.03 ft 29 mi
Cribbs Mill Creek at Ww Plant at TuscaloosaRiver gauge, Cribbs Mill Creek 6.5 cfs Normal ±0 29 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Cahaba River at Centreville compare with last year?

It is 0.37 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.19 ft.

What is flood stage for the Cahaba River at Centreville?

The official flood stage is 23.00 ft. The level is currently 22.44 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Cahaba River at Centreville in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 1.80 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.40 ft and 3.36 ft, based on 54 years of records.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Cahaba River at Centreville today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 12:15 AM CDT, the water level was 0.56 ft. Down 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Cahaba River at Centreville rising or falling?

Down 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 5.02 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Cahaba River at Centreville normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 54 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:02424000 (Agency page)
Coordinates
32.94512, -87.13916 (WGS84)
Vertical datum
NAVD88
Update interval
every 15 minutes
Licence
Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 0.56 ft 2026-10-18 05:15 Provisional
Flow 242 cfs 2026-10-18 05:15 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cahaba River at Centreville (usgs:02424000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/alabama/cahaba-river-at-centreville

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer